Grumpy Santa
by Danym
Summary: Christmas time brings some changed attitude. Response to an Unbound Challenge. [GSR]


Grumpy Santa

By Dany

Summary: Christmas time brings some changed attitude.

Rating: T

A/N: This is a response to an Unbound Improv Challenge. I know it's unrealistic and total fluff, but it's Christmas.

Disclaimer: I don't own CSI and its characters.

xxxxx

He watched, stunned for the moment, as Santa walked around the lab.

Brass had come to the lab to talk to Grissom about going out for a drink after work to decompress, but he hadn't found the other man. The only one he had seen walking around was Santa…a Santa that looked strangely familiar. Jim scratched his head, trying to place the face behind the beard.

Only when he saw Sara Sidle watching Santa closely from one of the lab entrances it clicked. No matter how impossible it seemed, the Santa that he couldn't identify before was Grissom. Had he lost a bet?

Brass decided to play a joke on him and surprised Grissom from behind, giving his own version of 'HoHoHo!'

Grissom jumped and turned around. There was no Christmas spirit to be found in his eyes at that moment. He was looking sour, and Brass wondered again why he was doing this when it was obviously the last thing he wanted to do.

"Not you too," Grissom growled, doing nothing for his image.

"Hey, you've gotta follow your inspiration. I can't help it." Brass shrugged his shoulders. It was obvious that he was trying to look innocent, but he had never quite managed that.

"Yeah, yeah, can it okay? And before you ask, yes, I lost a bet…to Catherine if you want to know."

Brass bit back his retort that he should know better than to bet with Catherine. She always won. "What was the wager?"

"I have to walk around like this a whole shift."

Brass could hear someone giggling and if he didn't know better, he would have said it sounded like Sara. He turned around, hoping to catch her looking, but there was no one. She must have retreated to the safety of the room once she realized that they had heard her.

When he turned back to Grissom, the other man had escaped. With him in this mood, there was no sense in trying to talk to him about anything.

xxxxx

It had been indeed Sara who had giggled at Grissom's costume and his grumpiness. Once she had noticed that Brass was about to turn around, she had retreated to the room to avoid discovery.

Catherine's idea was hilarious, she had to admit that. It was well worth his grim mood to see him in a Santa costume. To be honest, it fueled several fantasies of hers.

Now that these thoughts had returned to the forefront of her mind, it was no use continuing her work here. It could wait and Sara decided to take a break.

She wandered down the halls, intend on getting rid of thoughts she shouldn't have at work. But while she was focusing on the workings of her mind, another part of her had directed her towards his office.

The blinds were drawn, but she knew he was here.

Unconsciously, she reached out and opened the door, stepping into his office. He must have heard her because he looked up. The fake beard was gone and so was the hat. He had unbuttoned the jacket a bit to cool off. Despite the short reprieve, he was still not in the best mood. However, she thought she had seen some strange glint in his eyes when he looked up.

Grissom pushed back from his desk, looking at her expectantly. When she remained rooted to her spot close to the door, he pushed back a bit further. "Want to tell Santa what's on your Christmas list?"

There was smirk plastered to his face and Sara took a step back. This was not what she had expected.

Collecting herself again, she stepped closer, not knowing what he wanted from her. She knew what normally followed this question, but why was Grissom asking her that? When she was close enough, he took her hand and tugged at it. She didn't budge and he pulled harder, making her lose her balance and land in his lap. "Griss!"

"Shh! No one can see us."

He repositioned her on his lap so that both of them were comfortable. Some strands had fallen into her face and he gently pushed them away. "So, what do you want for Christmas?"

Sara looked at him, trying to gauge how serious he was, but when she found nothing but tenderness in his eyes she decided to risk voicing her only true wish. "You!"

Grissom's eyes widened, not exactly with shock but he was still surprised. After a couple of seconds a smile spread on his face before he leaned in and touched his lips to hers.

It was heaven. This was exactly how all her fantasies started and now there was the hope that they might come true. She never wanted to leave this place where they were both on the same level, giving in to what she now knew they both wanted.

When the next breath became a necessity, they both pulled apart panting.

"Merry Christmas, Sara."

The end


End file.
